1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the sport of tennis, and in particular to the appearance of the court on which the game is played.
2. The Prior Art
The game of tennis is played on a court which includes a flat surface marked off to provide a rectangular play area and a net which is suspended over the mid point of the play area by support posts located on opposite sides of the play area. The players must hit a tennis ball over the net and into appropriate zones in the play area. The support posts are usually made of steel tubes vertically positioned in the ground next to the play area, and they are often embedded in concrete. One of the support posts usually mounts a hook to which one end of a net cable is attached (the net cable passes through a fabric sleeve that extends along the top edge of the net), and the other support post often mounts a hand-operated cable winch to which the other end of the net cable is attached (the cable winch can be either externally or internally mounted). Operation of the cable winch tightens the net cable to straighten the upper edge of the net, i.e., raise its middle area to the required height above the court surface.
The tension applied to the net cable can eventually cause the support posts to bend towards one another, thus presenting an unattractive appearance. This is of special concern for tennis courts used for match play where a true vertical positioning of the support posts is expected. And it is almost impossible to correct the bend in a support post without replacing it entirely, which is both time consuming and costly.
A need exists for overcoming the unattractive appearance of tennis court support posts, and in particular those which have become bent and out of vertical, while avoiding the need for their replacement. I have invented a cover housing which achieves this object.